Liquid absorption packets

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a process for using a liquid absorbing and stabilizing material to stabilize remaining water in a bathroom or kitchen fixture. The liquid absorbing and stabilizing material forms a gel which can be re-liquified upon reinstallation of the fixture. This process prevents the spillage of liquids, which can be unsafe and unsanitary.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/179,131, entitled “LIQUID ABSORPTION PACKETS”, filed May 18, 2009 by Adam C. Browning. The entire contents of the above-mentioned application is hereby specifically incorporated herein by reference for all it discloses and teaches.

BACKGROUND

Plumbing repairs in both residential and commercial buildings can be difficult and potentially unsanitary. Various diseases can be contracted from repairs of plumbing fixtures. In addition, spillage of liquid from plumbing fixtures can result in damage and costly cleanup of the surrounding area.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present invention may therefore comprise a method of stabilizing a fluid in a trap of a bathroom fixture to prevent spills of the fluid during removal of the bathroom appliance comprising: removing excess amounts of the fluid from the bathroom fixture; adding a specified amount of an absorbing and stabilizing material to the fluid based upon the amount of the fluid in the trap after the excess amounts of the fluid have been removed from the bathroom appliance; waiting a specified amount of time period until the fluid has been stabilized to create stabilized fluid in the trap so that the fluid does not leak during removal of the bathroom fixture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packet that contains a liquid absorbing, stabilizing material.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tablet containing a liquid absorbing, stabilizing material.

FIG. 3 is a transparency view of a toilet showing a toilet trap.

FIG. 4 is a transparency view of a toilet showing remaining water in a toilet trap.

FIG. 5 is another transparency view of a toilet illustrating the liquid absorbing, stabilizing material being inserted in the remaining water in the toilet trap.

FIG. 6 is a transparency view of a toilet showing a tablet disposed in the remaining water in a toilet trap.

FIG. 7 is a transparency view of a toilet showing a water soluble packet disposed in the remaining water in a toilet trap.

FIG. 8 is a transparency view of a toilet showing liquid stabilized in a gel in a toilet trap.

FIG. 9 is a transparency view of a toilet showing the stabilized liquid in the toilet trap being re-liquified and flushed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packet 100 that contains a liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102. The liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 may comprise Luquasorb 1255 super absorbent polymer available from BASF, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, Ludwigshafen 67056, which is a super absorbent material derived from polypropenoic acid. Other materials include various types of super absorbent polymers. In addition, sodium polyacrylate can be used as an absorbent material. Liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 is used in embodiments disclosed herein to primarily absorb water and water-based materials. However, other liquids can also be stabilized using the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102, including oil-based materials, such as paint, medical waste and by-products, including, for example, blood, etc. The liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 comes in a powder form that readily absorbs water and other liquids. The packet 100, illustrated in FIG. 1, can be made of a plastic material, such as a plastic film, that is capable of safely containing the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102.

Alternatively, the packet 100 may be constructed from a liquid soluble material, so that the container dissolves in the liquid and releases the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 into the liquid that is to be stabilized. For example, if the liquid to be stabilized comprises water, the packet 100 may be fully or partially constructed of a polyvinyl alcohol, such as Elvanol®, made by DuPont, 1007 Market Street, Wilmington, Del., 19898, EcoSol® and Solublon®. Each of these materials is a water-soluble film-like material that is capable of dissolving in water. The packet 100, illustrated in FIG. 1, contains a specified amount of the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102. For example, 0.6 ounces of the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 may be contained in the packet 100, which will stabilize a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. Lesser amounts can be used for other plumbing fixtures, such as urinals and sink traps. Two packets, or 1.2 ounces of the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102, may be used for a 3.5 gallon per flush toilet.

FIG. 2 illustrates a tablet 200 containing the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102. The liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 is mixed with a filler material and compressed into the tablet 200. A premeasured amount of the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 is contained in the tablet 200, e.g., 0.6 ounces, to stabilize a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. Two tablets may be required to stabilize the water in the trap of a 3.5 gallon per flush toilet. The actual amount of water or other materials that are in the trap of the toilet is less than 1.6 or 3.5 gallons of water.

FIG. 3 is a side transparency view of a toilet 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the toilet 300 has a tank 302, which stores water that is supplied by supply line 304. Valve 306 can be used to turn off the water to the supply line 304 in the tank 302. The toilet includes a bowl 308 and a trap 310. The toilet is placed on the floor 316 with a wax ring 312 disposed between the bottom of the toilet 300 and the floor drain 314, to prevent leakage of fluid from the toilet 300. When the toilet is flushed, the water from the tank 302 rushes quickly into the bowl 308. The bowl 308 is filled quickly with water 320, which fills the siphon 318. When the siphon 318 is filled, the water 320 is sucked out of the bowl 308 and partially out of the trap, which causes a flushing of the water 320 into the floor drain 314. When the valve 306 is closed, the siphon 318 will pull the water 320 from the bowl 308. When the valve 306 is closed, new water 320 will not enter the bowl 308. The siphon 318, however, is incapable of siphoning all of the water out of the trap 310.

As shown in FIG. 4, the toilet 300 has been flushed with the valve 306 closed, so that no water fills the tank 302, or bowl 308. The siphoning effect of the siphon 318 is incapable of removing the remaining water 322 from trap 310. As such, removal of the toilet 300 will often result in the remaining water 322 being spilled on the surrounding floor 316. This can create unsanitary conditions, especially if the water contacts the wax ring 312 or the floor drain 314. Various diseases can be carried by the unsanitary conditions surrounding wax ring 312 and floor drain 314. Hence, it is desirable to prevent spillage of the remaining water 322 on the floor 316. Further, the remaining water 322, if spilled on floor 316, may cause damage to floor 316 or a subfloor 336. If the remaining water 322 enters between the subfloor 336 and the floor 316, mold may develop, which can be hazardous and expensive to remove. In addition, warpage and delamination of wood in floor 316 and subfloor 336 may occur, as well as degradation of the wooden floor material in floor 316 and subfloor 336 if the remaining water 322 is spilled on floor 316 and subfloor 336. Further, since toilets, such as toilet 300, are heavy, the process of lifting the toilet may result in spilling of the remaining water 322 on a repair worker's shoes and socks and may cause the repair worker to slip on a slippery wet floor, such as a vinyl or tile floor, with the heavy toilet, possibly resulting in injury to the repair worker. For all of these reasons, it is desirable to absorb and stabilize the remaining water 322 in the toilet 300 prior to removing the toilet 300.

FIG. 5 is a schematic transparency view of the toilet 300 of FIG. 2, showing absorbing and stabilizing material 102 being dispensed from a packet 324 to the remaining water 322. The absorbing and stabilizing material 102 can be in a powder form that is dumped directly into the remaining water 322. The powder will then disperse throughout the remaining water 322 to absorb and stabilize the remaining water 322.

FIG. 6 is a transparency view of toilet 300, illustrating another way of dispensing the absorbing and stabilizing material 102 to the remaining water 322. As shown in FIG. 6, a tablet 328 is placed in the remaining water 322. The tablet, as explained above, may be an effervescent tablet, which helps to disperse the absorbing and stabilizing material into the remaining water 322. Otherwise, tablet 328 may be a tablet that simply dissolves in the remaining water 322 to release the absorbing and stabilizing material 102.

FIG. 7 is another transparency view of the toilet 300, illustrating another manner of adding absorbing and stabilizing material to the remaining water 322. As shown in FIG. 7, a water soluble packet 330 is placed in the remaining water 322. The water soluble packet, as set forth above, can be made from a polyvinyl alcohol film, which is sold by DuPont Corporation, 1007 Market Street, Wilmington, Del., 19898, under the trademark Elvanol®. Similar products are sold under the trademarks EcoSol and Solublon®. When the water soluble packet 330 dissolves in the remaining water 322, the absorbing and stabilizing material 102 is dispensed into the remaining water 322.

FIG. 8 is a side transparency view of toilet 300, illustrating the stabilized gel 332 that is formed when the absorbing and stabilizing material 102 reacts with the remaining water 322. The process of forming the stabilized gel 332 from the absorbing and stabilizing material 102 takes several minutes. Once the stabilized gel 332 is formed, it remains in the trap 310, even if the toilet 300 is tipped. The gel 332 is sufficiently thick and stabilized within the trap 310 to prevent the gel 332 from leaking from the toilet 300.

FIG. 9 is a side transparency view illustrating the reinstallation of the toilet 300. As shown in FIG. 9, the valve 306 is opened to provide a supply of water to tank 302. The tank 302 is flushed with the gel 332 in trap 310. This causes water 320 to fill the bowl 308. When the gel 332 is subjected to the water 320, the gel 332 begins to re-liquify as re-liquified gel 334. The re-liquified gel 334 becomes a liquid and is pushed by the water 320 through the siphon 318 into the floor drain 314. In other words, as the gel 322 re-liquifies to form a re-liquified gel 334, the water 320 flushes the re-liquified gel 334 into the floor drain 314.

Hence, the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 prevents the spillage of remaining water in a toilet during removal and reinstallation of the toilet. Spillage of the remaining water can be unsafe, unsanitary and cause additional work and cleanup of unsanitary liquids.

Although a toilet 300 is illustrated in the figures, the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 can be used with other bathroom and kitchen fixtures, such as urinals, or traps for sinks. Removal and replacement of urinals, using the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102, in the manner disclosed herein, is a convenient way to prevent spillage of water from a urinal. Further, the use of the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 on sink traps prevents spillage of water under sinks, which may be unsafe or hazardous. Since the liquid absorbing and stabilizing material 102 creates a stabilized gel, bathroom and kitchen fixtures can be removed and replaced without spillage. Further, the gel 322 can be easily re-liquified into a re-liquified gel 334 once the bathroom or kitchen fixture is reinstalled.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art. 

1. A method of stabilizing a fluid in a trap of a bathroom fixture to prevent spills of said fluid during removal of said bathroom appliance comprising: removing excess amounts of said fluid from said bathroom fixture; adding a specified amount of an absorbing and stabilizing material to said fluid based upon the amount of said fluid in said trap after said excess amounts of said fluid have been removed from said bathroom appliance; waiting a specified amount of time period until said fluid has been stabilized to create stabilized fluid in said trap so that said fluid does not leak during removal of said bathroom fixture.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: reinstalling said bathroom fixture; adding water to said bathroom fixture that re-liquifies said stabilized fluid; flushing said stabilized fluid that has been re-liquified.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said process of adding said specified amount of said absorbent and stabilizing material comprises: adding a specified amount of a super absorbent polymer.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein said process of adding said specified amount of said absorbent and stabilizing material comprises: adding a specified amount of sodium polyacrylate.
 5. The method of claim 2 wherein said process of adding a specified amount of said absorbing and stabilizing material comprises dispensing said absorbing and stabilizing material, in powder form, from a packet.
 6. The method of claim 2 wherein said process of adding a specified amount of said absorbing and stabilizing material comprises placing an effervescent tablet containing said absorbing and stabilizing material in said fluid.
 7. The method of claim 2 wherein said process of adding a specified amount of said absorbing and stabilizing material comprises: providing a packet containing said specified amount of said absorbing and stabilizing material, said packet constructed of a water soluble plastic material; placing said packet in said fluid so that said packet dissolves and releases said absorbing and stabilizing material to said fluid. 